Enchanted by Trinidad Weddings

Even for us who haven't been bitten by the marriage bug, Trinidad Weddings works magic.

The 2015 issue of the annual collectible magazine was launched at a high tea at Zazou on Thursday, transforming the already charming restaurant into dreamy scene, drizzled with roses and infinite details that communicated the theme, "Love is the greatest adventure"

I am so honoured to be a contributor on another issue for this mold-breaking brand. Check out my article on Bridesmaids trends for 2015! Also email me via StephanieRamlogan.com if you would like expert styling advice for you and your bridesmaids.

How bold and endearing to have multiple brides on the cover? These are actual brides, not models hired for the shoot.
They are each so different and yet equally as stunning. My favourite look though, has to be the bride on the far right who
embraced colour for her wedding dress! Coloured bridal dresses are my favourite trend, especially these blush tones.

Simone shows of her Rachel Rochford jewelery. She has always been into wearing Caribbean designers.
We first officially met when I styled her in Van Der Vlugt for her 2013 TW launch.
This year she wore a CLD piece from the Lalla Collection.

Honestly, the event was even prettier than some actual weddings I have been to. I definitely encourage you to pick up a copy to get inspiration and instruction on how to throw your perfect wedding.

Quirky, Cute and Useful. All you look for
in the perfect Wedding favours.
Media and Bloggers were given these Hashtag bottle openers
with  #TWwedzine on them

Of course the food was A class. We were at Zazou after all

A page from the issue. TW features actual brides and weddings

TW Editor Simone and Me
Cheers to another amazing year

Runway Trends from Trinidad and Tobago Fashion Week

Whether by coincidence or some poorly publicized organizing, we seem to be in the middle of an unofficial fashion week in Trinbago. J.Angelique, Noor, CLD and Modett have had shows this week, giving us insight to what designers are coaching our women to wear. 

White Out

Maybe it's the heat that has designers fixated on white. This very sophisticated neutral looks best on rich skin tones and definitely is the best choice for cooling down in the island heat. We have seen mostly creamy whites on cotton, but J.Angelique embraced a brighter tone for her interesting slant on bridal with the Reception Collection.

Noor

Adrian Foster

J.Angelique

CLD

Mixed Print

Seemingly random prints with overlapping geometric and tribal pattern in bright colours- a bit of a mouthful and and eyeful, but on column dresses and other clean silhouettes, it works.

Sew Lisa

Bene Caribe

Amen Print House

Sheer the love

Unlined and transparent lace and chiffon give more than just a peek at underlying bare skin.

J. Angelique

J.Angelique

CLD

Fancy Pants

With the go -to outfit having long been a fancy frock, designers are embracing pants by making them the highlight of the look. We are seeing more and more flowy wrapped trousers and sleek jumpsuits.

J. Angelique

CLD

Lisa See Tai

Cape diem

Elegant and strong, and thought only suitable for cooler climates until now, capes have come to Trinidad. In sheers and even jersey, these accessories are a bold statement that can elevate even the simplest looks.

The Lush Kingdom

J.Angelique

CLD pictures courtesy Eustace Dyer Photography

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My Choices for The Best Fashion Designers in Trinidad and Tobago

2014 has been a big year for Trinidad fashion, with all the shows and pop up markets and the opening of NoMoreFashionVictims.com which acts as a platform for these brands to reach customers around the world. I have noticed some amazing work that needs to be celebrated! I grouped my personal favourites as nominees for the best that the Trinidad and Tobago fashion industry has given us this year. Honestly, in some of these categories, I can't narrow it any further, so please vote for your favourites in the comments to help me decide!

Best Signature Design: 

Some designers have become recognised by a single piece

Adrian Foster's Long Wrap Skirt

Meiling's Kite

Christian Boucaud's belt

Most impressive Debut: 

With their work bubbling on the fashion scene surface since 2013, theses designers have blown us away without warning, with innovative design work and covetous pieces with massive commercial appeal. 

Aisling Camps

Zidelle Daniel

Charu Lochan Dass

Best fine Jewellery Designer

Micha Gomes

Janice Derrick

Ilmes

Best Fashion Brand 

These labels cater to a lifestyle. It's easy to become brand loyal with them when they dress you beautifully for work, play and days-off.

Sew Lisa

Meiling

J. Angelique

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from Caribbean Resort Style Week

This has been a hectic but fabulous month of November so far; the unofficial fashion month of Trinidad and Tobago! Every night I'm at events, and every day I'm meeting with designers and brands to retail on nomorefashionvictims.com (Shameless plug.)

This whirlwind month of fashion shows, product launches and Christmas markets was kicked off last weekend with the annual Bits and Pieces Christmas pop-up on Saturday and the Resort Style Week Port of Spain Show on Sunday at the Trinidad Country Club. The show lineup was impressive with big names like Meiling, Zadd and Eastman, Claudia Pegus and Millhouse to name a few. It was expected to be the fashion event of the year.

I can't get too lengthy and I don't want to go one reviewing each designer. There's another show in a couple hours and I need to hustle if I want to make it! So, here's the gist of it, and how I feel.

I'm always going on and on about the Caribbean aesthetic, and by now even I am sick of hearing about it. This show though, was a clear indicator of what Trinidadian designers think of the way Caribbean people dress or should dress.

The Good: The strongest designers to me are Meiling, Zidelle Daniel for XOZ, Adrian Foster, Charu Lochan Dass for CLD,  The Cloth, Aisling Camps and Zadd and Eastman.  Meiling, Aisling, CLD, Adrian and Zidelle all have something in common. Their aesthetic is clean, easy to wear, architectural, well-constructed and classic yet with special and surprising elements. They shy away from colour, which with the stigma of Carnival and our fusion of vibrant cultures, is a deviation from what some may perceive as a signature detail in the "Caribbean Aesthetic". Yet, they insert into their collections subtle and unexpected moments of chromatic hues here and there.

 

 (left)Chartreuse ribbon belted over Meiling's a denim and gingham patterned look
from Meiling's "Borrowed from the Boys" Collection 

On a mostly monochromatic collection, Zidelle incorporated this multicolor beaded bodice. Yes! Those are beads!

 The Cloth and Zadd and Eastman are very different from that first group. They embrace the conventional island inspiration of vivid flora and kaleidoscopic cultural influences. Yet, they maintain very sophisticated style lines and thoughtful design. While I am very drawn to the boxy silhouettes and woven cottons of the others, I am still enchanted by the flowy ease of Zadd and Eastman's collection, and the almost jarring juxtaposition of prints from The Cloth.

Somewhere between these two groups is that "Caribbean Aesthetic". 

My favourite look from Zadd and Eastman

The Cloth

The Bad: While some designers showed styles that would be fitting over a swimsuit (it was a Resort show after all) I feel there is still a disconnection between Runway fashion and Real Women. Everything is gorgeous when it blowing in the breeze and taped down strategically on a tall, slender girl with professional hair and make-up, but not so much on 5 foot tall me after eating some crab and dumpling at Pigeon Point. I urge the designers who like this style, to do more than just stitch triangles of fabric at the corners and call it a dress. Design is more than just what looks pretty. Get creative and try some manipulations of your pattern. Add an interesting detail or technique. Stop giving us the same old.

 The Ugly: I was shocked to see certain pieces on that runway, let me tell you. I won't call any names or post any pictures because people are sensitive. I never mean to embarrass or insult anyone but some things have to be said. Puff paints and glitter glue do not belong on any runway anywhere except for Project Runway's Threads which features little children getting creative with crafts and clothes. Zidelle Daniel made feathers out of fabric and cleverly layered them over one another on a casual crop top and hand stitched them into place. If she can invest so much thought, effort and creativity into a basic piece, how dare you squirt colourful glue onto silk like if this is kindergarten? You are spoiling good and expensive fabric. Not acceptable. You can do better than that. Also, I saw a "Sari" with a deeya painted on it. A sari is a piece of cloth wrapped. draped and tucked around a body. That is your design? A piece of cloth that people have been wearing since clothing was invented? This is what you do to make it modern? You draw a deeya on it? It baffles me that this particular collection was shown on the same platform as the greats. Fabric surface treatments have long been a Caribbean thing, but there must be some way more current, sophisticated and beautiful than drawing and painting pictures like if people want to be murals. If it looks like it belongs in a gift shop in Piarco, start over. I know not even you want to wear that.

Zidelle's Beautiful Fabric Feathers

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Off the Rack!

Here I am with the humble talent behind the brand

Yesterday I attended what I was told was the first of many Off the Rack events by Designer, Adrian Foster. At these fun soirees, you can pick up your AF RTW pieces. He had his popular Romper Wraps, new Wrap Trousers (in different prints, lengths and fabrics), printed pant suits, shirt dresses and button-ups oh my!

With even close scrutiny, you can only see what I call immaculate tailoring. His trousers fit perfectly- hugging the curves and skimming the bumps. The fabrics are a textural adventure, ranging from smooth taffetas, to breezy cottons and then heavier embroidered weaves.

The next time you hear that one of these is coming up, do whatever you can to attend! (Even if it's for the complimentary wine and food!) It is really special to see this brand grow. I just know that Adrian Foster is going to be a name on everyone's lips!

Egyptian inspired copper printed pants suit. Jewellery by Cocoa Vintage

Vertical Monochromatic Print Wrap Jumpsuit

Made these Emerald Indian Printed Wrap Trousers mine!

To the new batch of graduate fashion designers

Mark Eastman

For over two weeks now I have been contemplating about writing a review on the Mode Repertoire Fashion Show, put on by the CAFD graduating class of 2013. I felt as though my critique would not be fair nor objective since I was a classmate of many of these students, as well as had experienced much of what they have. I beamed with pride at every design that walked that runway- I couldn't honestly call out the disasters, because I know these young people, and I know their struggles; individually and collectively. It's like an aunt showing off a nephew's finger painting- all she she sees is the love and dedication in the toil, instead of the actual work.

Designer: Adrian Foster

Designer: Darscell Douglass

What I'm going to say will anger some people, but they will not be able to refute. Yes, these students showed us that they have immense talent, and put out some really great collections, but you have no idea what kinds of hurdles they had to overcome. This is why I am doubly proud of them. In my "interview" to get into CAFD,  I was told that many people drop out because the work is difficult. Well, I love difficult. I seem to attract a challenge everywhere I go, but it's a good thing because I work best under pressure. They were wrong, however. People don't leave because it's too hard, people leave because there's a lot of bullshit to deal with. Teachers and students have tirelessly voiced their dissatisfaction with the system and its runnings. Being intolerant of dis-organisation and run around answers, I had to leave. Now don't get mad and call me ungrateful. I cannot deny the wealth of knowledge that I acquired not only in classes, but through my relationships with lecturers and colleagues. I made wonderful friends and discovered talent that I know will make marks in this world. Nothing is perfect, CAFD. Don't get your panties in a bunch because I am openly saying what so many choose to irritably whisper by day in shadowy corridors. With experience and attention I don't doubt that the school has potential. In the media it is glorified. I just hope that it can live up to its name.

Some of my fave (and fab) peeps 

Friend and Designer, Ricky Bhowram with his show-stopping Electric Wedding Dress
( modelled by Former Miss TnT, Athaliah Samuels)

As for the 2013 graduating class, what stood out to me was that many of the looks that were shown, did not look like student work. You can see that certain restraint and maturity came in, with clean, no-fuss designs from many. I spotted several current and future trends. I saw clearly who the designers were in their clothing, as well as who their clients are. The tailoring was fantastic; better than a lot of the practising designers that work throughout the region. the students gave us work that was imaginative yet wearable, beautiful yet innovative. I'm very excited to see what comes of them. I'm hearing that not many of them have plans for the future, but I hope that after a brief hiatus (aka a vacation soaked in indulgent relaxation) that they get the ball rolling. Not everyone has to be an independent designer. I spoke to a graduate who hopes to do work for Meiling, I know of one who is with Janouras and a couple who are working on their business models. There are so many opportunities to be made. Graduates, MAKE your own path.

Graduate now teacher, James Hackett's Line: "The Lush Kingdom"

The amazingly talented, Sarah Woodham

I would like to express heartfelt congratulations to the entire class, as well as the Year 3 students who put down some impressive work at the Designer Critique show as well. Keep dreaming and making it come true.

Supporting Local! I'm in Adrian Foster while Simply Runway Owner, Candice Buccus looks elegant in a J.Angelique pencil skirt. Candice came to the show to allow the graduates to register for an opportunity to have their Collection featured and sold at Simply Runway in a specially designated spot, rent free!